Car of the Year 2012

Designed for European cities but right at home in Australia, the Up is a great first car or second commuter runabout. "The three-cylinder engine is why we call it the giddy-Up," James Stanford said at the COTY judging.The doors shut with a thunk, the turning circle is tiny, but the boot is surprisingly roomy. It's not a particularly brisk drive, but it gets along well in traffic and - provided you're prepared to use the gearbox - is quick enough for suburban roads and highway cruising at 110km/h.The braking is solid, it grips pretty well in corners, and all the controls and light and easy to find. There is some suspension clunky over low-speed potholes, and it's never going to win a cornering contest, but the ride smoothes over 80km/h and it’s fairly quiet.We'd much prefer to have the choice of an automatic, but the Up! is what it is. That means it has to be compared against its size and price rivals, where it comes up a winner. You can say that it will cost $17,000 to put a fully-loaded Up! on the road, but that would be a tasty little car with equipment you cannot get in something like an Alto or a Spark. It feels more substantial - read that as safer - than an Alto, Spark or Micra, as well as having parts and assembly work that lives up to the Volkswagen badge. It's not a Polo or a Golf, but it's impossible to build that sort of car for $13,990.So what you get is an Up! that resets the bar for the smallest cars sold in Australia today, and in a good way. It deserves four Carsguide stars, not when you think about cars as classy as a Benz C or a Porsche 911, but because of how it relates to its direct rivals, and the way it beats them.Volkswagen Up! three-doorPrice: from $13,990Engine: one-litre fuel-injected 12-valve three-cylinderTransmission: five-speed manual, front wheel drivePower: 55kW @ 6200rpmTorque: 95Nm @ 3000rpmFuel use/emissions: 4.9l/100km, tank 35 litres 95RON PULP; 114g/kmBrakes/safety systems: Driver and front passenger airbags, front seat side/thorax, stability control (City Emergency Braking, Brake Assist (EBA), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Traction Control), rear parking sensorsDimensions: Length 3540mm, width 1641mm, height 1476mm, wheelbase 2407mm, cargo volume 251 litres, weight 880kgWheels/tyres: 14in steel wheelsWin $5,000 in our People's Choice competition. 

Too heavy, but good to drive. "For all the greenery, it's still got an internal combustion engine in it. And it should be forty grand," Chris Riley said at the COTY judging.

A real family package with seven seats and a solid diesel engine for hauling. Helped ahead of the Hyundai Santa Fe by intensive local suspension tuning. "I keep coming back to value-for-money and I think it delivers. It's a well-sorted package," Karla Pincott said at the COTY judging.It is money well spent with Sorento remaining composed and controlled in a variety of conditions, soaking up the bumps and potholes whether it's on the dirt or bitumen.The entry level manual diesel is surprisingly fun to drive and even comes with dual zone climate air. The manual change is easy to use and will appeal to those wanting to tow a van or boat as it has a higher tow rating of 2.5 tonnes. The petrol V6 feels like a completely different car and has some real attitude. It is the quickest of the bunch, responds quickly and positively to the throttle, accelerating loudly and aggressively, with the dash from 0-100km/h taking 8.2 seconds.Bigger brakes pull the car up faster. The old Sorento was good and this one is better again. The styling is sharper and it sits better on the road, with more equipment in most cases.Sitting 10mm lower than before subtle changes in design have produced a wider, more aggressive look, particularly through the use of vertical lighting elements.The redesign includes new head lights with LED daytime running lights, a new tailgate with LED rear combination lights, new bumpers front and back with vertical, rectangular shaped fog lights and less use of unpainted plastic trim around the lower part of the body as well as a greater range of wheels.Kia Sorento Si diesel autoPrice: from $38,990Engine: 2.2-litre turbodiesel direct-injection four-cylinderTransmission: six-speed automatic, four wheel drivePower: 145kW @ 3800rpmTorque: 436Nm @ 1800rpmFuel use/emissions: 7.3 l/100km, tank 64 litres; 192g/kmBrakes/safety systems: Driver and front passenger airbags, front seat side/thorax, curtain airbags, stability control (Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Traction Control), rear parking sensorsDimensions: Length 4685mm, width 1885mm, height 1700mm, wheelbase 2700mm, cargo volume 258/1047/2052 litres, weight 1648kgWheels/tyres: 17in alloy wheelsWin $5,000 in our People's Choice competition. 

Picking the best car in a year of 1.1 million projected sales is Carsguide's task this week. As record November sales of 98,700 were announced, our team was testing its 10 plus one (we'll explain in a minute) finalists in the 16th annual Carsguide Car of the Year. The candidates and testers go through an exhaustive evaluation regime. There is an unprecedented number of SUVs in the field, a reflection of this segment's domination of the passenger car market. For the first time, there's a dual-cab ute. Purists argue these are not cars but trucks. Yet they are the primary vehicle for tens of thousands of families. So it's in. The finalists' countries of origin mirror your buying preferences in 2012. Four hail from Japan, two each from Korea and Thailand, one each from the EU, Australia and the US. Even in a year of outstanding prestige and luxury car releases - from McLaren through to the Porsche 911 to the Lexus GS - Carsguide's preference remains for cars the vast majority of us buy with our own money. We'll address the prestige cars of the year next week. At barely under $60,000, Holden's revolutionary Volt is the most expensive car here. Five start under $30,000. Wherever possible we have stipulated entry level models with automatic transmissions. Ford Falcon Ecoboost G6 ($40,835) Not strictly the base model, but no one pays top dollar for a new Falcon. It's likely to be the last version of the long-time (ago) No.2seller, and it's a family car of staggering value. Ford Ranger XLT ($55,390) Easily the winner of our multi-ute comparison test, this locally developed tradie lugger-cum-family hauler is the best of the new generation. Honda CR-V VTi ($29,790) We want to see how the just-released version of the original suburban soft-roader stands up. As in ever more SUVs, this version isn't “burdened” by all-wheel-drive. Holden Volt ($59,990) The Cruze body conceals the most sophisticated car ever to bear the Holden badge, a clever and above all practical electric vehicle augmented by a petrol engine. Hyundai i30 Active ($20.990) The first version was our 2007 COTY. The second continues the value story, adding shapely design and even desirability. Kia Sorento Si Diesel (from $38,990) The Korean success story isn't confined to small cars. This is a big, quality SUV with a capable and efficient diesel engine. Mazda CX-5 Maxx FWD ($29,880) Very much the SUV counterpart to the Mazda3 it's getting so you can't go five minutes without seeing one. The entry level petrol car is all the CX-5 you need. Toyota Corolla Ascent ($21,990) Toyota has remembered that design isn't inimical to the Corolla's traditional virtues. Probably the next No.1 seller. Toyota 86 GT ($29,990)/ Subaru BRZ ($37,150) This is why COTY 2012 is 10 cars plus one. These are variants of the same car, with different badges. As we've said: “In either guise the sum remains the same: that's two-thirds Subaru technical know-how plus one-third Toyota design, transmissions and an engine tweak equals the best affordable sports cars in decades and the best under $100,000. Suffice that while Subaru supplied the heart and limbs, Toyota has provided the soul, the will and the financial way.” No wonder waiting lists for both stretch into next year. Volkswagen Up three-door ($13,990) Can the most affordable European car in local history and best driver in its class overcome the disadvantage of no automatic transmission?  Some excellent cars are, of course, not here. In isolation BMW's 3 Series can be superb, especially the new hybrid version. But its popular versions were twice trounced this year in comparisons with Mercedes-Benz's C-Class. Honda's Civic is simply not a sufficient advance on the previous model or compelling in a madly competitive small car market.  We liked (very much) some versions of Peugeot's 208 but feel it falls down on value next to the class leading Volkswagen Polo, our 2010 winner. It was hard to leave out the fun Hyundai Veloster, the year's best-selling “sports” car and even an early favourite, but the two best reasons for doing so can be found above. Check Carsguide next week in print and at carsguide.com.au to learn the winner of the only car of the year contest that matters. CARSGUIDE COTY CRITERIA Value  Design  Engineering  Safety  Relevance The COTY contest comes down to how well each contender does its job and how it stacks up against its rivals, both in the top-10 shootout and in showrooms around Australia. These are the tough questions: 1. What does it cost to buy, what will it cost to run and how does its value compare to its rivals? 2. Does the design work, inside and out, make a significant advance? How well is it finished? 3. Is the engineering, from the engine to the road, best in class and right for Australia? 4. Would you trust your family to the safety package, from the airbags to the spare tyre? 5. Is the car right for our times, right for our roads and the right choice for ordinary Australians? CARSGUIDE COTY HALL OF FAME 2011 Kia Rio 2010 VW Polo 2009 VW Golf 2008 Ford Falcon G6E Turbo 2007 Hyundai i30 CRDi 2006 Holden Commodore Calais V 2005 Suzuki Swift 2004 Ford Territory 2003 Honda Accord Euro 2002 Ford Falcon BA 2001 Holden Monaro 2000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 1999 Toyota Echo 1998 Holden Astra 1997 Holden Commodore VT Judges: Paul Pottinger, Carsguide editor; Paul Gover, Carsguide chief reporter; Joshua Dowling, News Ltd national auto editor; Karla Pincott, Carsguide online editor; Craig Duff; Chris Riley; Stuart Martin; Neil Dowling; James Stanford; Drew Gibson.  

THE COTY CREWPaul Gover - the grizzled and grizzly veteran who first hit the motoring beat in 1978.Joshua Dowling - The toughest judge in Australian motoring. No more, no less.Paul Pottinger - Carsguide editor escapes the desk for some hands-on work.Karla Pincott - Nothing token about this woman, who has been reviewing cars for 14 years.Neil Dowling - Quietly spoken but nothing slips past him.Craig Duff - Prefers two wheels but a hard-nosed judge on four.Stuart Martin - An impartial voter now Mitsubishi is out of business in Adelaide.Chris Riley - Out of the 'burbs and into the thick of it on his first COTY run.James Stanford - Whip-crack wit and even quicker in a car, favouring driving over style.CARSGUIDE COTY HALL OF FAME2011 Kia Rio2010 Volkswagen Polo2009 Volkswagen Golf2008 Ford Falcon G6E Turbo2007 Hyundai i30 CRDi2006 Holden Commodore Calais V2005 Suzuki Swift2004 Ford Territory2003 Honda Accord Euro2002 Ford Falcon BA2001 Holden Monaro2000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class1999 Toyota Echo1998 Holden Astra1997 Holden Commodore VT CARSGUIDE COTY CRITERIA Value - Design - Engineering - Safety - RelevanceThe COTY contest comes down to how well each contender does its job and how it stacks up against its rivals, both in the top-10 shootout and in showrooms across Australia. These are the tough questions:1. What does it cost to buy, what will it cost to run, and how does its value compare to its rivals?2. Does the design work, both inside and out, make a significant advance and how well is it finished?3. Is the engineering, in every area from the engine to the road, best in class and right for Australia?4. Would you trust your family to the safety package, from the airbags to the spare tyre?5. Is the car right for our times, right for our roads, and the right choice for ordinary Australians? 

Riding on the back of self-proclaimed fame is a most dangerous journey that often ends in copious tears or global ridicule. Witness previously unknown Selena Gomez who remains newsworthy (apparently) only up to the minute she parts ways with boyfriend Justin Bieber (he's a singer) and then she may be confined to a social vacuum.Kia's smartly-dressed and Australian-tuned Rio small car won Carsguide's Car of the Year for 2011 but the car you see here, today, isn't the same as that winner. It's important to recognise and acknowledge notoriety and cast caution to hangers-on, don't you think?This is probably the first time you'll hear me say that a Korean car is a bit overpriced. There's a lot of goodness in the Rio and it has a high level of appeal but it marks a turning point where the Koreans are demanding more cash for their cars.The "S'' model has a 1.4-litre engine (compared with the 1.3-litre Yaris and 1.6-litre Fiesta - see below) and costs $18,990 including the $2000 auto gearbox option. That's $2700 less than the 1.6-litre COTY version which is a better drive. But I admit the 1.4 is well equipped with top-end safety, all the latest audio features and even a full-size spare wheel.Cute. It's subjectively the best looking in the light-car segment and that exterior neatness carries over to a German-influenced cabin. The dash screams Volkswagen Golf while the seats are broad and very comfortable.There's a lot of black plastic but, like Golf, shows purpose. The boot is big, the rear seat room fits two adults and the seats fold down. I don't like the big gaps in the front seats' rake adjustment. But I like the fact it has a fold-up key and an ignition barrel on the steering column without any fussy push-button starter.The test car is Kia's entry-level version of the 1.6-litre COTY winner. It has a smaller, technically-deprived version of the 1.6 engine. The 79kW/135Nm engine misses out on the direct-injection (read: responsive and fuel efficient) of the 1.6 but chugs along without much fuss or fire.The four-speed auto spends most of its time throwing cold water over any whiff of performance from the engine. Pleasing is the more efficient and simpler four-wheel disc brakes. Most rivals have antique rear drum brakes. Australian engineers have worked hard on the steering and suspension and has made this one of the best handlers on the market.The picture is pretty much the same across Australia's new car market - a five-star crash rating, six airbags and electronic stability control. Rio adds a hill-holder system. There are four disc brakes, a proper spare tyre and heated side mirrors. It's certainly on par, and sometimes betters, its rivals.Unlike the peppy direct-injection 1.6-litre, the 1.4 is dull.  It's made for the city and suburbs. The four-speed auto chokes the little engine and diminishes its appeal to motorists who are confined to the suburbs.There are times when, notably when exiting a corner, there is almost no communication between the accelerator pedal and the engine - and that's scary. Acceleration is reasonable but any sign of driver enthusiasm is met by a wall of noise.